Children Of Iron and Patience
by EmrysTheMerlin
Summary: Twenty two years after the attack on New York Tony Stark has made a life for himself.He married Pepper and has the best friends he ever wanted in the Avengers.He also has two eighteen year old miracles named Reilly Maria Stark and Phil Howard Stark.But when the team leaves the twins and their mom alone what will happen?Is it ever safe to be a Stark?Avengers Academy Book 1
1. PATD Protocol

**Children Of Iron and Patience **

** Authors Note: I was reading several Avengers fan fics and recently saw Iron Man 3 so I decided it was time. No real spoilers but it should be fun. I own nothing. Lots of music references here. **

1. PATD Protocol

The music blared from the lab along with a voice that was most certainly not Tony's. Pepper smiled as she made her way down to the lab to the blaring of AC/DC's Highway to Hell. The second singer was slightly off key and as Pepper typed in her access key she saw it was because of the ear plugs she was wearing. The lab was abuzz with noise; mostly drown by the music but not entirely. The buzz of a hand held precision saw was the loudest. The music switched as the short head of dark rust colored hair bobbed along to a translated Japanese pop song.

As she often did with these kinds of songs Reilly Maria Stark started singing the original version of the song. Pepper stood in the doorway watching her daughter cut a perfectly straight edge then a tiny zigzag pattern with one tool. She had inherited her father's gift with everything electronic. At the age of six she had decided that JARVIS was lonely and created her own AI system with a radio and the few bits and pieces she could reach of her father's tools. A year later she had wanted to know what JARVIS and ALICI (A Live Interactive Computer Interface) looked like so she had let both help her design their own personal holographic interfaces. As it turned out JARVIS actually liked the image of a slightly elderly English butler, while ALICI was a slim trim maid with blonde hair and pants instead of the French skirt it was actually rather cute.

"Mute please ALICI." Pepper called over the music once her daughter had set down the saw and reached for the next tool. Reilly jumped and pulled out her ear plugs when the AI system complied.

"Mom! You scared me! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Pepper laughed. Her daughter appraised her carefully.

"How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough to hear your lovely rendition of, what was that?" She blushed.

"Bad Apple." They both paused as the lights flickered.

"ALICI? What was that?" Reilly asked. The voice of a young Irish woman came over the speakers built invisibly into the walls.

"_It appears that me systems are being hacked. I have done me best to hold them off but I appear to be running at 96.8% and falling."_

"Intruders? JARVIS how are you?" The British voice replaced the Irish one.

_"I am working at full capacity but the intruders have breached the building on levels nine seven and twelve. I have already sent the signal to the Avengers and your father. I recommend both of you stay put." _

"Have you activated the lockdown Protocol yet?" When she received a negative from both systems she bolted from the lab.

"ALICI! Lock down my lab! Activate Protocol M 37!"

"_The PATD Protocol? I de na think that's wise."_

"Do it anyway!" Pepper tried to override the lockdown with her access key but it wouldn't open the door.

"DAMN IT ALICI OPEN THIS DOOR!"

"_I'm sorry Mrs. Stark, but the PATD Protocol overwrites security keys. I serry for this but your daughter kens what she is doing ma'am. Ye should trust her more often." _Music Pepper recognized began to play over ALICI's speakers.

'_Sing it like you mean it. No, don't you get it now don't you move!'_ Her daughter's voice joined the singers.

"Just stay where I can see you! Douse the lights. All the lights went out simultaneously. When the music kicked back up the normal lights in the house turned from florescent house lights to strobe colors flashing in time to the music. Pepper blinked hard, disoriented by the colors and fast paced sound mingling and clashing. Her daughter was a genius.

"ALICI?"

"_Ye Mrs. Stark?"_

"Where is she going?"

"_I believe she is headed fer Level 12. Phil is thare."_ Pepper had to steady herself on the wall. Her son! She had to get out of this lab.

The first song ended and all the floors of Stark/Avengers Tower went pitch black. Phil was careful not to move or disturb his hiding place. His sister was a genius. He had about to activate this protocol when the music had started. He had never been so happy to hear Panic at The Disco before. She was headed to him he could feel it. She had been in her lab. He heard them enter his room and waited. The second song began, Casisado. Shit that one was quiet. He crossed his fingers and was rewarded when the lights in the room became intense then flashed off. This time his sister had set off the smoke machine. He had thought it was a silly idea but he made a mental note to thank her. His door opened again.

Reilly Stark would not panic. She had a weapon, not the best one she would be the first to admit but hey it was better than nothing. It was a glove fitted with repulsar technology, a prototype she had been able to grab on her way past her father's lab. She ran past most of the attackers. She knew this protocol like the back of her hand, having designed it. She reached the twelfth floor without any of the intruders noticing. Most were fighting with Night vision goggles that were blinding them with each colored flash.

She stepped up to her brother's door and it slid open. She raised her gloved arm and fired three times. Each shot connected with a surprisingly yellow clad body. She raced into the room and found her brother. His dark rust colored hair was sweaty and he looked relieved to see her.

"Hey sis! What kept you?" She shrugged like this was an everyday occurrence.

"Had to lock Mom in my lab. The usual."


	2. Backup Arrives

**Authors Note: What better place to distract people than a Panic at the Disco concert? Come on you know it's true! SPOILER ALERT! IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IRON MAN 3 DO NOT READ THIS PART YET! MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS! Anyway I promise I'm done with the music mostly. I still own nothing! **

2. Backup Arrives

The twins looked at each other for a second then laughed. They were drown out by gunfire. Both froze as some of the loudness of the music dimmed.

"JARVIS? ALICI? What was that?" JARVIS answered.

"_I'm afraid Miss. ALICI has been taken offline. I shall continue to run the PATD Protocol but your mother has been released from your lab, Miss Reilly. And your father requests that you answer your phone."_

Reilly reached down and pulled her phone out of her pocket. She detached the earpiece and called her father. Phil grabbed his and had JARVIS hack into the call. When Tony finally answered he was seething.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?" Reilly almost pulled the piece out of her ear.

"OW! Dad! SHHHH. We are fine for the moment but if we don't move we may not be. Phil let's move." He pulled her down the hall away from Reilly's lab.

"I have an idea! Come on!" The twins had a special connection and Reilly instantly knew what her brother had planned. She grinned as their father yelled at them over the phone.

"No! Stay where you are! We are two minutes out! Just give me a minute!"

"Dad relax we know what we are doing." They chorused, as Phil stepped aside and allowed Reilly to blast three more intruders off their feet into various walls and furniture. Reilly began to hum along with Nails for Breakfast Tacks for Snacks as they made it to their destination on level nine. They reached a console and began to work. The hardware here had been partially destroyed but Reilly ducked under the desk that housed the screens main hardware and began to tinker with the mini flashlight and tiny welding pen she kept in her tool belt.

As she began to tinker the song changed and Phil typed furiously on the half of the screen that was working. I Write Sins Not Tragedies began to play. The twin's eyes had long adjusted to concert lights and loud music, they were teenagers after all. Both were now humming along and soon Reilly slid back out from under the table and flashed him the thumbs up. He finished typing on the once more complete screen and the lights came back on. The music continued to blare but the intruders were now able to see. They soon had the twins cornered.

"Great plan Philly what the hell was step two?" Reilly glared and somehow managed to grin at the same time.

"But Rei, you know that this was the plan the whole time. Getting caught!" He laughed. She grinned and leaned onto the console. By all apereances she was just holding herself up. But she was doing far more as her fingers flew across the keys.

"So who are you guys anyway? Hydra? No too colorful. Hmmmmm. Well let's see who else would want to kidnap two twin geniuses?" Her brother shrugged. She continued.

"Or could it be the simple fact that we are Tony Stark's kids? Super villains you think you're original? Seriously we are eighteen; we've been kidnapped a few times. Right Phil?" Phil nodded.

"Seventeen at last count. Though my favorite is when that Doom bot confused us for Reeds kids. Dr. Doom's reaction was priceless." The laughed until one of the men in yellow cleared his throat.

"Sorry. So you are? Not Doom, no green." Reilly said clearing her throat and waiting, her finger hovering over the execute button.

"We are Scientists of A.I.M.! You will come with us in the name of Science! We are prepared to use force!" Phil crossed his arms, standing next to his sister.

"Why?" The scientist looked at him, confused under his goggles.

"What?"

"Why do you need us? The smart thing or the Tony Starks kids thing?" The scientist had his gun hanging at his side.

"You will help us to advance the most beautiful science ever. The science of the Advanced Idea Mechanics."

"The same A.I.M. people who tried to kill hundreds of people and nearly killed our mother with your Extremis project?" Reilly was always one for the emotional reaction. The scientist had the humanity to look ashamed.

"The Extremis Project was a failure. But it was for science. Something a child like you would not understand." Reilly snapped, Phil saw it coming the second the word 'child' was out of his mouth.

"That isn't science! That is psychosis! This is science." She hit the execute button. Lights flashed and soon there was a cage of bright colored laser lights around the scientists.

"You truly expect lights to hold us?" One of the other scientists asked snappily as he stepped forward. He yelped as one of the lights hit his wrist and burned through the plastic hazmat suit.

"No, cause they aren't lights. They are highly concentrated repulsar beams. Takes a bit of tinkering but two heads are better than one." Phil explained and high-five his sister. Then they heard a gun cock from the doorway.

"Shit." Reilly breathed.

"Surrender or we will be forced to use force!"

"Is that even proper English?" Phil asked and Reilly shrugged.

"We have your mother!" Both twins raised their hands in submission instantly as their strawberry blonde mother was dragged into view. Reilly's mind raced and she prayed that Phil and his amazing intuition were listening to her thoughts. She knew what would happen next. These people saw their mother as despensible, the minute the twins let her out of their sight she was dead. They wanted the twins, not their father. She had a prototype in her tool belt that might come in handy right now but she needed Phil to keep them talking for just a minute.

"So what is this higher cause of science we're supposed to help you with? I mean what if it's something we can't do? We are only eighteen." The scientists focused on him giving Reilly a chance to fish her prototype out of her belt.

"You will help us advance the weapons of A.I.M. and most importantly you will help us build the greatest scientific mind in all history!" There got it. She twiddled with a dial and threw it. It landed exactly where she wanted it to, at her mother's feet. The small piece seemed to explode with electricity and soon there was a shield around Pepper Stark that, even at that range, was bulletproof. That was when all hell broke loose.

The Avengers crashed through several of the walls. The Hulk landed closest to the twins and smiled at them, it was only slightly terrifying. Iron Man blasted in nearer Pepper and took out the scientist closest to her, then the three closest to him. Captain America burst in and smashed down three more attackers with his shield. The scientist must not have been as stupid as Reilly gave them credit for because the ones not trapped in their repulsar cage fled.

"About time!" The twins sighed in unison.


	3. A Warm Light, A Dark Day

**Authors Note: DON'T KILL ME FOR WHAT I'M ABOUT TO DO! I own nothing. No spoilers here, unless you haven't seen the Avengers or Iron Man 2. Please review!**

3. A Warm Light, A Dark Day

Reilly was the only one to notice the scientist that Cap had hit raise himself and lift his gun. He pointed it at her brother. She acted faster than she knew she could. She stepped in front of him as the self proclaimed scientist pulled the trigger. She could only gasp as she felt her ribcage crack then shatter. Pain was all she felt as her world went black.

There was a millisecond of pure silence as Reilly Stark fell to the floor with a crack and a spurt of blood from a gunshot wound on her chest. The Hulk moved first. He grabbed the scientist who had shot her by his head and shook him till his neck gave an even louder snapping sound than Reilly had and his screaming stopped. Tony was at his daughter's side and Pepper had figured out how to turn off Reilly's shield. She raced to her daughter. Phil dropped to his knees as the Hulk continued to pound the now most certainly dead scientist into a bloody pulp.

"Rei? Reilly?! Wake up!" He whispered, begging his twin to be alive begging her not to have died for him. He fumbled and found a pulse. Tony seemed to be in shock. He had raised his visor and tears streamed down his face. Pepper had tears streaming uncontrollably down her own cheeks. Her hands shook as she found her daughters hand. It was Captain America who did the rational thing.

"JARVIS! Do that thing where you check if someone's ok!" The English AI complied and scanned Reilly.

"_She is alive. It appears the bullet was aluminum. It broke her ribcage in one place and shattered against her spine. I would advise placing her inside the Iron Man Armor to help stabilize her vitals and assess the damage more closely._" Tony instantly began yanking at the Armor.

"DAD! We're in the Armory; it'll be faster if..." Tony nodded at his son.

"JARVIS! Deploy the Mark 12." A set of armor rose from its holding place and opened much, to Tony's eyes at least, like a coffin. He carefully lifted his daughter and placed her into the armor which closed around her much in the same way it had opened. When the visor shut he ordered JARVIS to tell them what the armor found.

"_The armor has detected extensive damage to her heart and some to her lungs. A solution has been advised. To save her life she must be implanted with an arc reactor. The shards of the bullet are too small to be removed and it would take a medical miracle for her to survive the operation that would remove the fragments. This is the only option."_ Tony looked up at Pepper with something like devastation in his eyes. He couldn't speak, couldn't think. His daughter had always been the most like him, but he had never wanted it to go this far. Pepper spoke looking determined.

"Will it save her life?"

"_Yes Mrs. Stark."_

"Do it. Now." She nodded at Tony. He knew what would happen now. The armors, all of them, were programmed to do anything medically necessary to keep the user alive. It had all the technology it needed to drill a hole in his daughter's chest and insert the thing he had spent years building. The thing that had saved his life and the lives of those he loved. The warm light he had wanted to share with everyone would soon shine out of his daughter in a way he had never foreseen. Tears continued down his face as he looked at the machine which held his daughter. He trusted his own armor but right now he wanted there to be anything else to do. Waiting was not his strong suit.

The Hulk roared and shrank back down into Bruce Banner. Back into the friend Tony needed right now. The song had once again changed. Now it played probably the worst song it could think of. The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage.


	4. Foster, Thunder, Spider and Hawk

**Authors Note: Please don't hate me…. If you're still reading then that means one of two things. 1, you want me dead and are just reading to see if I commit sepaku with this story. 2, you hate me but have to know what happens next. Feel free to tell me which it is. Please review even if it's to hate I want to know that people read this. I own nothing.**

3. Foster, Thunder, Spider and Hawk 

The next few hours were the longest of Tony's life. Longer than those trapped in the cave in Afghanistan, longer than those knowing he was going to die, longer even than the battle in Manhattan. Phil killed the PATD protocol and had JARVIS play Reilly's favorites quietly. Bruce didn't really approve of what 'the other guy' had done but he understood the reasoning behind it.

"So I got him?" Tony nodded still watching the armor that incased his daughter. He pulled his son close and hugged him. Pepper was thanking Bruce and Steve for their help. This was how she coped. She got back to work, hid under paperwork, smothered tears behind a mask of professionalism. They all saw through it but no one commented. After the first ten or so minutes Steve made another suggestion.

"We should call the others. Tell them what happened. Wasp and Ant Man are in the Congo so I don't know if they will be able to be here but the others would like to be." Tony nodded. Steve sent out the call, Tony was still in shock. Bruce went to get him a stiff drink, it was best at times like this. In fact he brought them all one despite Steve's inability to get drunk and Phil's age. It was ok as long as his parents allowed it. Under the circumstances they did not object.

The first Avenger to arrive was Thor, with his long time girlfriend and fiancée Jane Foster. Both were somber.

"Man of Iron, what has happened? The Captain's message was confounding and distressing." Tony shook his head and sipped his brandy again. He had finally moved, he sat next to his daughter wearing most of the Iron Man Armor. He had taken the helmet off and one of the gloves lay on the floor next to the Mark 12. Jane turned to Pepper.

"What happened?" Pepper shook her head. Steve explained. Jane clapped her hands to her mouth and Thor embraced her tenderly.

"How can we assist?" He asked looking at Steve. Bruce answered.

"I figure all we can do is wait. I know it's not fun or even comfortable but it's all we can do. The armor will repair the damage and then we can help. But till then we have to wait." Pepper nodded and her voice only broke a little when she spoke.

"Dr. Banner is right. We have to wait. I got word from T'challa. He can't get away right now, Wakanda is facing some kind of political threat and Ororo isn't talking to him. He wants to be kept updated. Jan and Hank are still unreachable in the Congo but Natasha and Clint are on their way."

"We're here." Natasha came in through the large Hulk shaped hole followed by Clint. They had parked their hovercraft on the roof.

"SHIELD knows. They're sending a medical team." Tony spoke finally.

"No. I don't want SHEILD here. I know what Fury will want. He's going to do some stupid spy thing and have my daughter join the Avengers. No. She won't be in danger like this again. I'll make sure of that. So you can tell Long John Jackass to keep his nose out of it!" A voice came from the doorway; one none of them had ever thought they would hear again.

"Who said Fury sent them?" The room was absolutely silent save for JARVIS playing Nightcore's version of Disturbia. Tony stood and stared, distracted from his daughter for a moment.

"Coulson?!"


	5. When Old Friends Come Calling

**Authors Note: Please review! I'll love you forever! I own nothing.**

5. When Old Friends Come Calling From The Dead

"How!? How are you alive!?" Tony spluttered. Thor looked shocked.

"Son of Coul! You were defeated! My brother stabbed you." Thor was dumbfounded. He had seen Coulson stabbed, seen him dead. He had even gone to the funeral. He had thought that it would be like the funerals he had seen before, with a ship and fire. But it had been rather subdued. A simple box that remained closed and somber words spoken by people he had never seen. The only one he knew was Fury. The man who, like his father, had only one eye had stood behind a large upright piece of wood and spoken to the gathered mortals.

'_I knew Phil Coulson since he started working at SHEILD. He was a good man, he loved his job and he was damn good at it. He was smart as a whip and he was brave. The bravest man I ever worked with. Phil Coulson was also unique, he believed in heroes. That belief brought together an extraordinary group of people. He didn't live to see this group save this world but we who are left behind will always know that it was because of him that the world was saved. He helped The Avengers to the very end. I believe his memory will help them again someday.' _

"Yes well, sorry about that. I didn't really have a choice and I knew that for people who are so different to…" Pepper reached Phil Coulson first. The slap was resounding and everyone froze. Pepper had struck him so hard he staggered backward.

"YOU BASTARD! TWENTY TWO YEARS! YOU LIED AND HID! WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!" Pepper was screaming at him. Tony had never seen Pepper this angry. She had turned red and tears streamed down her face. Tony looked at her and realized she was taking out her anger about her helplessness out on the one outlet no one would mind her hitting.

"Oww." A muffled voice from behind the two terrified parents had both of them whirling and turning to the armor on the floor. The faceplate had opened and a pair of eyes that were identical to her father's stared at the group from the armor.

"What happened? My chest feels weird. Did I get shot?" Tony sat down next to his daughter. So hard that he managed to leave a dent in the floor as he was still wearing his armor.

"Rei, sweetie, how do you feel? Do you feel ok? How's your chest?" Pepper rushed over to her fussing already, Phil was crying now. He had his mother's eyes, bright blue. Now they filled with relief and fear.

"Mom? Are you ok? Did the bad guys leave? A.I.M.? They're gone?" Tony took his daughters hand, clad in armor though it was he felt safer in contact with her. She looked at him confused.

"Daddy? When did you get here?"

"I got here a little bit ago. How do you feel honey?"

"My chest feels weird what happened? Am I ok?" Reilly looked at him worried. Tony took a deep breath then he began the hardest conversation he had ever had.

"Reilly, honey, do you remember stepping in front of your brother?" Pepper asked carefully. Reilly nodded.

"That guy was going to shoot him." She paused. "I got shot didn't I? Am I ok?" Tony nodded.

"You're going to be fine. I promise. Things are going to be a little different from now on. Things are going to change and I am so sorry." Tony's voice broke slightly.

"Daddy? Why are you crying? Can I get out of your armor? It's hot in here." The armor opened but the bright light of the arc reactor that had powered the suit remained. Reilly stared down at her own chest.

"Dad… There's an arc reactor in my chest!" She sputtered. The SHEILD team checked her out and found her perfectly healthy. The reactor was doing its job, keeping her alive. As soon as they were done checking her out she fled to her lab and locked the door.


	6. Midnight Rises

**Authors Note: Is anyone actually reading this? Cause I actually lost a follower. It makes me feel like no one likes this story, but unlike others I hate seeing a story incomplete. Yes I know I have one that is incomplete. I'm writing that one by hand first and have run into a plot cul du sac. I WILL NOT ABANDON THIS STORY! EVEN IF NO ONE WILL REVIEW. I want them to… cries in the corner. I will carry on. I still own nothing. **

6. Midnight Rises

Reilly spent a total of four weeks, two days, and sixteen hours in her lab. Tony kept a count of it. She never let anyone but her brother Phil in, mostly because she couldn't keep him out. Every time she changed her pass key he would just guess it again. After her sixth day in her lab she gave up keeping him out. He brought her breakfast that first day, Tony had wanted to go with him but the door had been slammed shut before he could get to it.

There had been the sound of objects flying and his daughter shouting at his son. There had been several objects shattering against metal and his son had backed out of her lab with a metal sheet held up like Captain America's shield. The door had closed in front of him and he had grinned at his father and lowered the piece of metal.

"She really doesn't want to be bothered right now." Two days and sixteen hours later ALICI was back online and tasked with keeping everyone out of her lab. Well everyone but Phil, Tony was almost certain that ALICI had a glitch Phil had programmed long ago. ALICI couldn't tell the difference between the twin's voices a lot of the time. Sometimes it was funny, others not so much.

So for the next week he simply let himself in. There were more fights and more throwing things but eventually that stopped. Eventually she let him back in and stopped fighting it. After seven days and six hours the fights stopped and he was let in without a shouting match.

Nine days after Reilly Stark locked herself in her room A.I.M. attacked a Stark Industries research center. Iron Man was en route to the attack when JARVIS cut in.

"_Sir, it appears someone has already arrived at the scene. However it is not any known hero."_

"Who is it the JARVIS?"

"_Unknown sir."_

_ "_Let's speed this up JARVIS!"

When they arrived at the scene the A.I.M. scientists were already on the run. In the light of the rising sun he saw a suit hovering above the lab. It looked similar to his, with a few glaring differences. This suit was most certainly built for a female. It was purple and silver and built with a bit less finesse than his. It was a little blocky and not altogether perfect. It had to be a first attempt at the build. She was chasing the A.I.M. scientists away from the building.

"JARVIS? Who is that?"

"_Unknown sir, but she appears to be using a version of your suit."_

"Scan her JARVIS!"

"_I have already attempted to scan her but I have been locked out."_

_ "_Locked out? You got locked out?! How?" Tony had never heard of JARVIS getting locked out by anything less than SHIELD and even then he had bypassed it.

"_Unknown, however she is attempting to make contact with you."_

"Put her through." JARVIS complied and a mechanical slightly distorted female voice entered his helmet.

"Hello, Iron Man. Nice to finally meet you."

"Wish I could stay the same. Who are you and why are you trying to copy my suit?" An annoyed slightly aggravated voice came over his speakers.

"Hey! I'm not copying your suit!" Tony shook his head.

"No, mines much more streamline, different metal too. What do you call yourself? Iron Maiden? And why purple? Not the greatest copy cat if you can't get the color right." The female copy let off a shot just below his left hand. It went under him and blasted an A.I.M. scientist who had been about to fire at Iron Man.

"Not a copy cat and purple happens to look good on me."

"Thanks. But you should still get out of here." She blasted another A.I.M. scientist off his feet.

"Are you going to argue or fight the people who are trying to take your stuff?" Iron Man took out a missile the female hadn't seen and turned to her.

"You got a name?" She seemed to think for a minute as she blasted out the wheels on the A.I.M. getaway car.

"You can call me Midnight."


	7. The Secret Held By Two

**Authors Note: Please review. I own nothing.**

7. The Secret Held by Two

Soon the two had the A.I.M. scientists running. The ones who surrendered were rounded up by the police but before Tony could turn to question his mysterious partner she was gone, leaving not even an energy trace behind. He himself left an ion trail a mile wide that he had yet to have time to fix. He was interested in this mysterious Midnight. But for now he had other things to worry about, like what exactly A.I.M. wanted with an experimental energy source.

Back in Reilly's lab Phil Stark waited. Nine days six hours and thirty minutes they had been working nearly around the clock. The prototype had passed the tests and she should be back by now. His worrying was rewarded a few moments later when the wall they had modified opened, peeling back section by section. She landed inside and the wall closed back up.

"He says it's too bulky! A week and two days of no stop work and he says it's bulky and heavy! Thanks a lot dad!" Reilly Stark gripped yanking off the helmet and smiling at her brother though she continued to look annoyed.

"Back to the drawing board then I take it?" He asked as his sister twiddled with the release buttons on her suit. It was a bit big, giving her twice as much body mass as normal. The buttons were tiny and far too small for the very large fingers of the suit to manipulate.

"Here! Let me help. It is bulky; did you design it off the Hulk buster?" His sister pouted.

"Maybe a little."

"Well let's go back and start over. Let's not use Dad's design at all! Come on there are a few ideas I've been dying to try." His sister raised an eyebrow at him as she finally stepped out of the suit. She wore a skin tight suit that allowed her to interface more closely with the suit.

"Like?"

"Like the flight stabilizers. The gloves are a stupid place to put those. You get shot there you go down like a rock, or worse you start spinning in circles. No, they should be built in to the boots." His sister pulled up the holographic plans for the suit they had already built. She spun it and zoomed in on the gloves.

"No that won't work. See? You're not accounting for weight distribution. You put it in the boots I'll be able to go straight up but no other way. But you're right about the gloves being a silly place for them. Hmmmm." She expanded the view back out to the full armor and split it so they were looking at two separate images. The first was all the extra outer plating the excess was a bit extraordinary and would need to go but they would get there later. For now the second image, which displayed the electronics and various systems of the suit, was what they needed to focus on.

"ALICI? You still up?"

"_Aye ma'am. What can I do ya fer?" _ Reilly grinned at the familiar Irish tone.

"Separate out the weapons systems from the plans from the computer systems and life support. Give me a separate view for each please. And log that flight. It got a bit dicey at 50 thousand feet, may be a bit of an icing problem any higher. What kind of metal does dad use? The gold titanium alloy right?"

"_Aye that e' does miss. Shall I make a renderin' of it?"_

"Not yet let's get the systems sorted out first. So I figure if we run the stabilizers through the whole suit instead of having them localized it would work even better than just moving them." Phil watched as the third of the split images was fiddled with by his sister. She removed a piece from each glove and examined the holographic image she held in her hand.

"See Dad's problem was he stuck to the basics of the Mark 2 and from the few looks I've gotten at it and the ones that came after they are all the same suit, just with something enhanced. But enhanced to the point where no one really thinks about it being the same suit." Phil grinned at his sister.

"No you're thinking like a Stark." He yawned widely. His sister looked over at him a wide grin building on her face.

"Tiring out on me?" He shook his head stifling another, larger, yawn. She laughed and nudged him toward the door.

"Get some sleep. The suit will still be here when you get back." Phil looked at her closely; she had bags under her eyes, large ones.

"Only if you promise to get some yourself, you haven't since it happened." He pointed at the glowing circle visible under the material of her suit. She ignored him.

"Come on Rei. You need sleep. You've been up for nearly ten days straight."

"Kinda hard to sleep when you are your own night light." She muttered. He laid his hand on her shoulder.

"Why are you doing this sis? You're working nonstop, you're building a suit of armor, you're not sleeping and you're different now. You've locked JARVIS out of your systems entirely, locked me out entirely. Mom and Dad too. I know things changed when you got that thing in you but…"

"I'm fine Phillip!" He jumped, she never used his full first name. No one ever used his full first name unless it was on an official form or he was in serious trouble. Natasha was the only one who insisted on using it. She was far from fine and both of them knew it.

"Fine, I'll go. But I'm coming back tomorrow. Well today. And I'm bringing provisions." He grinned. She forced a smile.

"I'll be fine, seriously I'll be fine. I just want to get this done." Phil left and as the door shut he watched his sister examining the holographic stabilizer but a tear escaped her eye and then the door closed.


	8. Nightmares and Torn Circuits

**Authors Note: Ok so in Iron Man 3 SPOILERS! He has PTSD from the portal in New York END SPOILERS! And how would a teenager, as we are renowned for our delicate minds anyway, react to getting shot and having a great big glowing thing in their chest? I own nothing. Please review.**

8. Nightmares and Torn Circuits

The bullet hit her and she felt it travel all the way though and hit her brother. She watched as he fell and she remained standing. She lived and he died.

Reilly Stark jerked awake with an ear piercing scream. The light from her arc reactor was the only light in the room. She panted hard clutching at her chest. She couldn't call her father or her mother. No they would think she was being young and needed coddling. She didn't she needed to take action. She needed to make sure her brother was safe; she had to check on him.

"ALICI! ALICI I need you! I need you now!" The AI instantly reacted. After nearly eleven years ALICI knew her creators needs better than even she did. Instead of a simple disembodied voice she appeared as her holographic interface. Her bright unusually green eyes were, if you looked too close, code flashing almost faster than the eye could see. But for a machine she showed an amazing amount of emotion when she asked,

"_Miss Stark? What's the problem? Ya alright miss?" _Reilly shook her head and the hologirl sat down across from her.

"_Tell me everythin' I'll try to 'elp."_ Reilly explained the dream and the holographic interface called her brother immediately. Three minutes later he arrived in his pajamas and only one sock, his hair was a mess and he was obviously scared. Reilly was crying and looked over at the door.

"_I de na think I'm the one ye want to talk to right now." _ALICI smiled at him and vanished.

"Rei what happened are you ok? What happened? Are you hurt?" Reilly shook her head and whipped her tears away.

"I'm fine Phil. Just a nightmare. I should get back to work." He ran a hand through his hair and smiled.

"I'll get food. And coffee?" She stuck out her tongue at him. He knew full well she had an espresso machine in her lab. He refused to drink it, claimed it messed with his head. Normal coffee he would drink, black and hot but nothing in it.

"No you heathen, I'll stick with my delicious drink, not your black swill." She giggled a little as the machine started up on its own.

"Thanks ALICI." She smiled.

Several hours later the twins were sitting surrounded by the main components of the stabilization circuit. They had tried to have it fabricated by ALICI and a few of the machines but they had run into a serious problem. Somewhere in the mass of circuit shrunk down to the size of a wire, was a tear that was throwing off the stability but it wasn't big enough to be a problem the computer could detect.

Tony was pacing. There had been three more attacks on Stark Industries in the past three weeks since his daughter had been shot. Each time Midnight, an improved version of her every time even, had beat him to the scene. He had his suspicions about her identity but refused to accept it. He paced around his lab for about the hundredth time. This time though he stepped on Bruce's foot. Bruce sighed.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"No."

"Yes you do. I know because you do this a lot. After the thing with Pepper and A.I.M. last time you told me the whole story. I'm still not a therapist but I can listen to this."

"Why is this one different?"

"Because, Tony, this one involves your child. If you remember correctly every one of us Avengers had a hand in raising your kids. Now Nat and Clint have one of their own. She's a seven year old spitting image of her father and he's terrified, he wants anything for her except for her to end up like them. I may as well get a therapy degree with all the talking he does." Tony stopped. It was true he had been there when Natasha had told Clint they were going to be parents. Clint had been terrified then and even worse after the wedding a few weeks later. The wedding had been attacked by some Russian big shot spies and they had managed to get into the chapel before the other Avengers had stopped them. But they had stopped them. This was another time his children had been in danger.

"Ok fine, I'm terrified. My daughter is turning into a carbon copy of me. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I am awesome but my children don't need what I went through." Bruce cleaned off his glasses on his sleeve and sighed.

"Seems to me like she didn't want it any more than you did. But here we stand. Tell me something. If it was anyone but your daughter, no let me rephrase that. If it was Pepper, or me, or Steve or Jan or anyone of the Avengers would you have done anything differently?" Tony stopped. He had never thought of it like that.

"No, I wouldn't have done anything differently. But if I hadn't done it then…"

"Then she would have died and you would never have been able to live with yourself." Bruce said and Tony nodded.

"But she wouldn't be hiding things from me. Things like this!" He pulled up an image of Midnight. The newest version was sleek and made of the same metal his armor was made of. But it was painted midnight purple and silver. The faceplate was slightly different, smaller and a little less intimidating. The holes for the eyes were a little bigger and the cheeks were not as sharp or outlined.

"You honestly think your kids wouldn't eventually join the family business? Not running Stark Industries, but protecting it." Bruce said smiling just a little.

"She was always most like you."

"No! I don't want her to be! I know what it is to be Iron Man and I know how many times I almost never come back!"

"But you always come back, because you have something to come back to. JARVIS pull up the video."

"_Yes Dr. Banner."_ A video flashed up on screen, two young children, identical save for the eyes, played with their mother in their living room. Soon Tony, dressed in the Iron Man armor, landed in the living room. He knelt down and took off his helmet as he smiled at his twins.

'_Hey guys.'_

'_Daddy!'_ Both twins shouted and tackled him. Both loved him so much and Pepper shone with the love between them. They all loved each other and they all knew that no matter what they would find each other, safe and sound.

Tony sat and cried. Then he looked up at Bruce.

"You should have a therapist office just for the Avengers." He laughed.


	9. Open Books

**Authors Note: THANK SOMEONE FOR FINALLY REVIEWING! I'm taking a couple of artistic liberties with The Wasp and Ant Man. I don't know too much about them, save what I know from Avengers Earths Mightiest Heroes. So please bear with me. J I shall continue now. I own nothing! **

9. Open Books

Finally, finally after a month, two days and sixteen hours Reilly stark finally left her lab. She was a mess, with bags under her eyes the size and shade of bruises. Her hair was a bit longer than it had been and she looked like she'd been using the hazmat shower this whole time. As was normal in Avengers Tower on a Saturday most of the team was in the kitchen.

Well Janet Van Dyne, Natasha, Steve, and Tony were in the kitchen. Steve, who despite all appearances was actually an amazing cook, had made pancakes. The Wasp and Ant Man had returned from the Congo about a week ago and Hank had run off to his lab almost instantly. Jan was used to that by now. Jan could never resist Steve's pancakes and had caved at the offer of breakfast. Clint was off on some mission or another, Bruce had taken his pancakes to his lab, and Pepper was dealing with a small debacle involving the break ins at Stark Industries.

Steve spotted Reilly first and froze mid pancake flip. He then cleared his throat and finished the flip. Natasha grinned into her coffee cup. She had heard Reilly leaving her lab. Janet, who had been filled in on the situation upon her arrival, gasped and elbowed Tony who spilled his coffee all over his front.

"Ow shit! What Jan?!" He grouched as he grabbed a towel and began to rub coffee into his insanely expensive shirt. Reilly laughed. Tony spun round, spilling the last of his coffee over the table. He didn't seem to notice.

"Hey Rei. How you doing?" Tony was cautious and had yet to approach his daughter. The glowing circle that was sticking out halfway above her black tank top was distracting and the light made her look like a child. Young and fragile.

"Hungry." She grinned tiredly. Steve set about making another round of pancakes. Tony stood still covered in coffee and made his daughter her favorite non caffeinated drink. A very large hot chocolate with extra chocolate.

"There you go large stack of flapjacks." Steve smiled setting down a plate stacked high with golden brown pancakes. She reached for the syrup and began to eat. Natasha kicked Tony who was tearing up a napkin.

"You going to cleanup your mess Stark?" He jumped and grabbed a towel. He quickly cleaned up his coffee and turned to find an empty pot in the machine.

"JARVIS could you make some more coffee?"

"_Of course sir."_

"Come on Stark after all this time and you can't make your own coffee?" Steve grinned.

"Oh he can, he's just lazy." Phil Stark grinned from the doorway. A small blonde with bright shining blue eyes wearing a slightly too big Hawkeye t-shirt and shorts hung from his arm. Seeing Reilly she grinned and climbed up Phil until she was sitting on his shoulders.

"HI! Reilly! Reilly you look just like your dad! Are you gonna be Iron Man too?!" The seven year old grinned and bounced on Phil's shoulders. She seemed unaware of the ripple her question had sent through everyone gathered in the room.

Phil glanced at Reilly who was watching their father, Tony was looking down at his hands. Natasha watched her daughter, who had so unknowingly brought out so many feelings with just one simple question. She could read everyone in the room like a book. Tony's children were both in on it. This project Midnight, as the other Avengers were calling it, was something both twins were both in on. Both of them were building it, but only Reilly was flying it.

Tony knew, not all the details and he had most certainly not approved of this. He wasn't sure what to do next though. He wanted to talk to her about it but didn't know how. He was still learning how to be a parent and he was not really any better at it than she was at it. He was scared for his daughter and for his family as a whole.

Phil was worried for his sister, but the idea of helping her become the hero she was creating was an exciting one for him. The connection between the two of them was damn near tangible. Steve watched the slightly screwed up family dynamic with interest and a bit of nostalgia. He wanted a family like that. He wished for that kind of relationship with someone.

"Maybe someday sweetie, maybe someday." Reilly grinned then plucked the little girl from her brother's shoulders and zoomed her around the room pretending to be Iron Man. Natasha watched her little girl giggling and smiled to herself.

Maybe parenting would be a fun mission after all.


	10. The Solder and The Monster

**Authors Note: I have the best friends ever! Because of them you will not only be getting this but so much more! I won't say much more here but I will say that this is just the beginning. I still own nothing. Reviews are loved!**

10. The Solder and The Monster

It was four hours until someone finally mentioned Midnight to Reilly. But it wasn't Tony or Pepper. It was Steve.

Tony had always been very protective of his twins, as such he understood that they would need to learn how to defend themselves. So he had Steve teach them hand to hand combat since they were ten. Eight years later they had regular sparing sessions with him or, if they were in trouble, Natasha. Steve had always been a very direct person and Reilly knew he was thinking throughout their entire session. When it was over he finally spoke.

"Is this what you really want?" She knew what he meant but feigned ignorance anyway.

"What do you mean?"

"Midnight. Being a hero. Twenty two years ago I would never have believed your father was a hero, yes I knew he was Iron Man but I didn't see him as a hero. Before New York I told him he wasn't one to make the sacrifice play. He proved me wrong. I saw you make that play for your brother a month ago, but are you ready to make it for others. For people you don't know, may never meet again, are you ready to lay down on that wire and let someone step over you?"

She looked him up and down. He kept his eyes trained on hers. She tapped her arc reactor thoughtfully.

"Dad thinks this is what set me onto the idea of Midnight?" Steve nodded.

"He's wrong. Midnight has been an idea of mine for a long time now. She didn't come about simply because of the attack. A.I.M. gave me the push to fabricate the suit, but I've had the plans for years. Dad came back one time when I was twelve and he was hurt. He had a piece of the armor lodged in his arm. He had been helping the fantastic four fight Dr. Doom remember?" Steve did indeed remember that. Tony had nearly bled out.

"That was when I made the plans. I realized Dad couldn't do that alone. I think he knew then, he never let me see him hurt again. But when I got shot, well after, I realized it's not always dad. There are people out there without armor. And there are people who would take advantage of that. I don't like people like that, and the Avengers can't do it all." Steve smiled.

"Good. You know I used to have a friend who would have liked you. His name was Abraham Erskine." Reilly smiled and left so Phil could start his session.

She needed to make a stop off in her father's lab but was a bit reluctant to do so. She wasn't sure she wanted to run into him just yet. She knew what he would tell her. He would tell her to shut down her project. He would say it was too dangerous. She would have to call him a hypocrite. It was true, he had been Iron Man her entire life and wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

"JARVIS?"

"_Yes Miss Stark?"_

"Is dad in his lab?"

"_No Miss Stark. Your father is currently in his room with your mother. I believe they are discussing your recent activities as."_

_ "_MUTE!" She sighed and entered her father's lab. Tony was indeed absent but the lab was not empty. Dr. Bruce Banner was standing at one of the screens in his typical purple shirt and jeans. He glanced at her over his glasses and paused when he saw who it was.

"Hello Dr. Banner." She internally cursed. She had a bad habit of calling him Dr. Banner instead of Bruce when she knew she was in some kind of trouble.

"Hello Reilly. What did you need? Your Dad's talking to your mom." She nodded.

"I need to borrow a few of Dad's tools. My mini precision saw is on back order and I can't find my rivet gun. He won't mind." She smiled and quick stepped to the work bench. It was covered in various materials.

"Dummy!" The machine in question turned in her direction and chirped.

"What is all this? That's dad's project, that's scrap, that's an old coffee mug. Where are dad's tools?" The machine whirred and pointed to a different bench that was also a mess. Reilly sighed.

"Why did you move them? You know I sometimes wonder why he's never dismantled you and soaked your motherboard." Bruce laughed. Reilly glanced up grinning.

"He was threatening that a while ago. I think Dummy may be his verbal punching bag. Can we talk?" Reilly's smile faded, she hopped up onto one of the counters and settled down.

"Sure Bruce, what's bothering you?"

"It's not what's bothering me, this is about you. Well Midnight." Reilly rolled her eyes.

"Oh don't start we all know. Who else would it be? Are you sure about this?"

"Yes I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because being a hero isn't all it's cracked up to be. You should know that more than most. Being a hero is difficult, it's time consuming and it consumes your life. Remember your graduation?"

Reilly scowled. She did indeed remember that. At age 16 she and Phil had graduated magna cuem laud and had tied for valedictorian at MIT. They had been a year younger than their father when he had graduated. But at the beginning of the ceremony there had been an emergency at Stark/Avengers tower. The other Avengers had tried to deal with it alone but the Crimson Dynamo had gotten into JARVIS's systems and Tony had no choice but to leave in the middle of Phil's speech, he wasn't there for Reilly's. She had understood but he had felt he had to make it up to her. So he had bought her a brand new Viper.

"Yeah I remember."

"That's what it's always like. Sometimes it's worse. You've known me for 18 years and you've met the other guy. You've seen what he does. What I do as him. Is that what you want?" Reilly held up her hands to stop him.

"Gonna stop you there Bruce. See here's the thing. My graduation, I understand why he had to go. I get it, I'm over it. But there's a huge flaw in your logic here, several actually. See you and the Other Guy, well you talk about it like he has never helped you. I've been there in the room with the Other Guy. I've been there when you changed, both to and from. And the Hulk isn't what everyone makes him out to be. You and the Hulk are connected and you both have something in common. You want to help. That's what nobody understands about you and him. He doesn't hurt because he wants to, yeah he smashes, but in the 18 years I've known you I have never seen him smash without reason. Without someone provoking him, hurting him or one of his family. Yes I consider you family, so he's my family too. And from what he did to that scientist I'd say the feeling is mutual. Bruce I've known you my whole life and I know you better than you do sometimes. The Hulk is the basis of what all super heroes are for. We help when people are hurt. That's what we do. So yes I know what I'm getting into and I'm ready for it."

Bruce stared at her for a moment processing all she had said. She thought of both sides of him as family, no one had ever said that to him. He knew the other Avengers considered Bruce Banner as family but no one had ever included the Hulk in that. He couldn't help smiling.

She hopped off the counter and grabbed the tools she was looking for. She grinned at him and waved as she went to the doors of the lab. She left still smiling and he grinned and whispered after her.

"Thanks Rei."

Four minutes later every light in Stark tower went out at once.


	11. Can Iron Bleed

**Authors Note: As we near the end of this story I must pause to reflect. This has been an interesting experience and I will admit at the beginning I was a bit put out because I thought no one was reading but now I have seven wonderful reviews and I shall continue and tell you that this is the beginning of something so much greater. But I must leave you with a warning. Some of this is less than Cannon or is adjusted to fit my story from cannon. So if it upsets you I apologize but I'm doing it anyway. I own nothing. Please keep reviewing I love you all!**

11. Can Iron Bleed

Reilly Stark made it to her lab before she started to feel off. She knew something was wrong when she felt like her chest was going to implode. She dropped when the lights went out. Her arc reactor flickered and went out.

At the same moment Tony Stark was having a heated discussion with his wife.

"Tony! You have to understand I'm not siding with Reilly on this, but shutting her down won't work. She'll find a way to do it anyway." Tony was about to respond when his arc reactor flickered. He looked down at it and hit the floor two seconds later as the lights went out. Pepper screamed.

Bruce smashed his fist against the door. It was barred. The entire lab had locked down when the power cut. JARVIS and ALICI were both offline, and his communicator wasn't working. That was what had him realizing what it was. All power had been knocked out, not just that connected to the tower. An EMP pulse had to be responsible for that. He was growing scared. The tower ran on an arc reactor, the same kind that kept both Tony and Reilly alive. That's when the sound of smashing glass met his ears and he let go. A roar escaped from Tony's lab.

The A.I.M. scientist knew they had about twenty minutes to get in and out of Stark/Avengers Tower. They smashed in at three places, the lowest level, the residential level and the lab level. The labs were all locked down, and the lowest level was the main reactor. Neither was helpful to them. But on the residential they found what they were looking for. Tony Stark, unconscious on his floor with his wife hovering over him. They knocked her out quickly. They had been about to take what they wanted right there and leave when a roar reached their ears from four floors down.

"Take Stark with us! Let's go!" The grabbed the scientist and left through the hole they had created as the Hulk smashed his way out of Tony's lab.

"Now we can complete our greatest achievement for Science! Soon M.O.D.O.C. shall live!"


	12. Camouflage and Compatibility

**Authors Note: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes this whole story has been a lead in to the creation of M.O.D.O.C. BWAHAHAHAHAHA! I still own nothing! Loves reviewers! FINAL PART!**

12. Camouflage and Compatibility 

Reilly Stark woke before the power came fully back on. Her arc reactor jolted her awake, restarting her heart and alerting her to the problem. Someone had shut down Stark/Avengers tower. Her arc reactor had gone offline, which meant her fathers had gone offline too.

Pepper Stark woke next, to Steve the Hulk and her son hovering over her. She remembered what happened instantly and jerked upright.

"Tony! They took Tony! A.I.M. took Tony!" The Hulk growled.

"Where's Reilly?" Phil asked. The power came back on and they all heard whirring and saw a streak of light leaving the Tower.

"She's going after them!" Steve said and grabbed his communicator.

"Can I call her with this?" He asked Phil who shook his head.

"She created a new frequency to contact her armor. The communicator is in her lab." They all ran, letting the Hulk go first to smash down any resisting doors. The wall Phil and Reilly had altered had been forced open, or so the hand imprints indicated.

Phil scanned the room. It had been turned into Reilly's personal armory. They had created about six versions of the armor. Only four had actually been tested. Three of those had been scrapped. Two had never been tested. It was one of those that was missing. He grabbed the communicator.

"Reilly! Reilly! That armor hasn't been tested! The retro reflective panels they're too much of a drain on your reactor! You need to get out of that armor before it kills you!" He shouted and received a scoff as an answer.

"I know that Phil, but I've fixed it."

"How!?"

"I gave the suit its own reactor. The panels draw on that and everything else runs from mine. See fixed. I'm going after dad!"

"I figured that out! That's dangerous Rei, the Avengers..."

"By the time they assemble it might be too late! I'm already on the scene now! I can do this Phil. I'm gonna help dad. Now are you gonna yell at me some more or help?"

"Help of course! Where are you?"

"Abandoned warehouse in the docks."

"Cap they're in a warehouse down by the docks!" Cap sounded the call instantly.

Reilly entered the warehouse with a flock of scientists. The panels didn't make her entirely invisible but they did make it damn near impossible to see her unless you were looking. She was greeted by the most disturbing sight she had ever seen. An overly large head in a cryogenic chamber. Attached to it were a set of tiny arms and legs. It was disturbing.

Next to it was her father and looming over him was a scientist who was pulling out his arc reactor. She gasped as he detached it from her father and walked it over to one standing in front of the disturbing tank. He stood on a platform and reached into the tank, and attached the reactor to a small hole in the grotesque creation.

The thing began to glow with light and beep. Reilly had already made her way over to her father. He was in bad shape, his breathing was ragged and the hole in his chest was distracting. She had to help him even if it meant revealing herself. She ordered ALICI to release the arc reactor in her suit.

"_But ma'am removin' the reactor will shut down the reflective panels"_

"I know that! Do it now!" The AI complied and Reilly grabbed the reactor and attached it to the components hanging out of her father's chest. The scientist began to panic as the reactor whirred and Tony breathed easier.

"Midnight is here!" The scientist closest to her yelled and weapons were aimed all around the room.

"You shall not stop us! M.O.D.O.C. will live!" The leader replied and Reilly glanced over at the tank. She smiled under her faceplate.

"You sure? Cause that doesn't look like he's living to me." The scientists turned collectively and saw what Reilly was noticing. The tank was filling with large amounts of discharging energy and the human seeming part of the thing they called M.O.D.O.C. was making no response. One of the scientists ran to the computer console.

"The reactor is incompatible! The Arcanum powering it is attacking M.O.D.O.C.! Quickly remove it before he fails completely!" One of the scientists moved to remove it and Reilly blasted just in front of him.

"Oh I don't think so! You don't deserve that technology!" She blasted a hole through the tank and shot the arc reactor. It short circuited and caused a minor explosion. In the panic afterward she grabbed her father bridal style and took off. She spun midair and went feet first through the window and out into the night air. She righted and sped back to Stark/Avengers Tower. Tony stirred about halfway there and spoke.

"I still don't approve fully of this whole Midnight thing but I have to admit, what you did back there. That was pretty cool. How did you have that turn stabilized?" She left her faceplate closed but he knew she was smiling.

"I moved the stabilizers."

"Where to?"

"Everywhere." He laughed.

They arrived back at the tower just as the other Avengers were about to leave. Reilly staggered, her arc reactor was slightly drained but she quickly got out of the suit and sat down. Tony was feeling a lot better and sat down next to her after Pepper had checked him out.

"Iron Man could still kick your ass." He grinned.

"Put on the suit and let's find out." She grinned and he hugged her.

"Thanks Rei sweetie. You know maybe this won't be so bad after all. But you aren't joining the avengers! And that's final." She grinned cheekily up at him.

"Who said I wanted to join your team? Maybe I'll make one of my own."

**To be continued in the next installment of Avenger Academy…..**


	13. AUTHORS NOTE: SEQUEL

**Authors Note: The sequel, well second story in the series, has been posted! It is called Midnight in Midtown. Please review both and remember I own nothing!**


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